Personally I wouldn’t use the Galkyd/Gamsol layer on an acrylic painting. When I use it on my oil paintings I can actually go back and paint again on the Galkyd/Gamsol layer after I have removed the varnish. So if I want to make some adjustments even years later I have the option to do so. I have limited experience with acrylics since I only paint in oils so I am not able to give you an answer from personal experience on how to even out the dull and shiny areas on an acrylic painting. I am sure there would be some kind of medium compatible with acrylic paintings that you would be able to use. Maybe ask an artist like Carla Grace here on youtube - she works with acrylics too. All the best, hope you get an answer soon…

@@christodelportart8258 Thank you SO much for your reply, I'm so grateful to hear from you, it's really kind of you to respond. Thank you for suggesting Carla Grace, I will go over to her channel and see if I can ask for help there. Best wishes and thank you again!

I think the decision to use retouch varnish depends on an individual’s workflow. I don’t think that using Galkyd and Gamsol is better than using a retouch varnish, I just use it for a slightly different purpose. After I have completed my painting I oil out with Gamsol and Galkyd and then apply the Gamvar varnish once the Gamsol/Galkyd layer is dry. My painting is now covered by a permanent layer of varnish. After this my painting is ready to go to a new home - I will often never see the painting again. If I used a retouch varnish at the end of my painting process it will still need a permanent layer of varnish later on, some artists will wait a few months before applying the final permanent varnish - this is not an option for me as some of my paintings end up interstate or overseas shortly after completion. I don’t personally use retouch varnish between my paint layers either, if I need wet layer to paint on I would usually use a thin glaze consisting of Liquin Original and oil paint. This enables me to add colours at the same time while “oiling out” between layers. No painting method is perfect including mine, all of them have pros and cons. To me it is about learning as I go along, always striving to find the workflow that works best for how I work - using multiple thin layers of paint with glazing between some of these layers 😁

Thank you very much. I paint on stretched canvas. The stretcher bars that I used for this painting were made of victorian ash, it is less prone to warping compared to pine and the canvas was a pure cotton 12 ounce canvas.

Thank you very much😊

Thank you very much!

Thank you very much Xavier!

Thank you very much!

Thank you very much!

That’s great! I know that sinking feeling when things go wrong right at the end after I worked endless hours on a painting - really happy it worked out for you…

Thank you very much! When I took this reference photo of Bonnie I had the most amazing blue sky with hundreds of little clouds behind me. The highlight of painting her was painting that sky being reflected in her eyes 😁 Yes, the smell of Africa didn’t make the shortened version of that morning with the sebra…but it was definitely present - the fresh smell of grass still covered in early morning dew…and the unique welcoming smell of Africa - I don’t really know how to describe it, I don’t know if I can smell it or just feel it but it is there…

Thank you very much! It was a cold rainy day when I took this reference photo, I had a plastic bag over my camera and lens to keep it dry but I got drenched! When I looked at the reference photos afterwards I loved the lighter bright colours showing from underneath the darker outer feathers. The reflection of the sky in the outer wet feathers was also very special to me…had to be painted😁

Thank you very much! My favourite lion paintings are the ones looking straight at me😁 I do find it challenging to balance the details with realism. I love painting the tiny little details but it is not always the way that we see things in real life - especially with fur, so there is definitely a balance between painting details and leaving areas only suggesting detail.

Thank you very much! I took the reference photo about 8 years ago. It was early morning, beautiful golden light, quiet with the only sounds birds in the distance and the subtle rustling sounds of the stallion moving around and grazing. I was following him on foot with my five year old daughter. We kept our distance and he was quite relaxed about our presence, only looking back every now and again…😁

Thank you very much! Welcome to my channel and thank you for the feedback 😁

Thank you very much 😁In my opinion the waiting period really depends on the painting method that one is using. I use Liquin Orininal from Winsor&Newton in all my layers and I paint in very thin layers. We live in South Australia where it is usually quite warm with relatively low humidity so that also helps my layers dry quickly - usually overnight. I have varnished within a week on several occasions without any problems. If you do not use Liquin and if you use thicker layers of paint it will be a totally different ball game. There is a video on gamblincolours.com where they recommend that you varnish when your thickest layers are dry and firm, they do mention that it can take up to six months - my thickest layers are dry within a few days or less. If there is no urgency to varnish the painting I prefer to wait for a few weeks if possible, sometimes longer. All alkyd mediums do not dry at the same rate either, Galkyd does take longer than Liquin to dry. I had occasions where I oiled out with Galkyd and Gamblin where I couldn’t vasnish within a week even if I wanted to because the layer was sticky for a few weeks - usually when it is raining and cold. I do not know how often you have used Gamvar before, but if you don’t gave a lot of experience with Gamvar I would recommend that you use Gamvar on smaller paintings that are not too precious to you over an extended period of time and see how that works for you before using it on paintings that you just can’t afford something to go wrong with. Sorry that I couldn’t just give you a short and precise answer, hope this helps a bit…

@@christodelportart8258Thank you for the detailed answer! I don't use Liquin or Galkyd, as I am trying to paint odour free. I even use Zest It as a safe thinner. Also I paint with some slightly impasto brush marks. My country is Germany, so a bit cold and damp. I guess this means I am in for the long-drying times! I have never used Gamvar, so I will experiment on smaller less important panel first, as you suggest.

I don’t know if you are aware of the Gamblin Solvent Free Fluid painting medium that contains an alkyd but no solvent, Gamblin also makes a Solvent Free Gel. This gives you a very safe option but with alkyd to help with the drying time. Might be something to look at if you haven’t done so already…@@mattylamb658

Every country has it’s own beauty but there is no denying that the wild outdoors in Africa is really wild! Surrealism is something that has always facinated me and I admire a lot of those artists for their skills but I have have started with realism and here I still am after all these years…but you never know where you might end up, life is a journey. All the best with your journey too!

Your’e welcome, thanks for watching!

Since day one of oil painting I have always used some kind of an alkyd medium in all my paintings so whatever I say about your painting that was done using mostly linseed oil will not be from personal experience. If you haven’t used an alkyd medium most references advise that you should wait a few months before varnishing. This is not always the case with Gamvar, so you might be able to varnish sooner. I normally oil out with galkyd+gamsol about a week before I varnish. Have you tried to contact the Gamblin company directly? An artist that have used many different mediums is Andrew Tischler, you will find him on youtube, he might be able to give you an answer from personal experience. All the best - hope you can get a definite answer😁

@@christodelportart8258 oh appreciate the response, thank you very much

To me it seems like the colours are slightly more vibrant with the gloss. If that was my main priority I would use the gloss. I my case it is not my main priority - I prefer to compromise a little bit on the contrast and vibrancy and use mainly matte for my paintings. By using the matte it is possible to view my paintings from any direction without bright reflexions of light from the surface. With the matte the blacks doesn’t appear quite as dark as compared to the gloss. I have a bottle of matte, satin and gloss and I have experimented with all 3, I would suggest that you do the same and see what works best for you. I apply a very thin layer of varnish, so I would be able to have the painting vertical within an hour or two but I prefer to leave it horizontal overnight if possible. It might take a few days to reach it’s maximum strength, I would prefer a week if possible before packaging a painting after varnishing, I do not like anything to touch the surface before it is at full strength. I had cases in the past where people were quite eager to get their painting on the wall - I have sometimes transported a painting lying flat in my car and personally hung it on a buyer’s wall the day after varnishing and just let it cure on their wall. If somebody else has different experiences please let me know, I am always happy to learn from other people’s experiences and not just my own 😁

Thank you very much! It does help if you have a subject with an expressive face - who can resist eyes like that? 😁 There is a fair amount of detail in this painting but looking very close up some of it is just an illusion. My aim is to paint with fine detail in strategic areas and then leave the rest for the viewer’s brain to fill in when looking at the painting. This will be a lifelong path of learning for me - I do get carried away and might just keep on filling in little details indefinitely. I am a work in progress - like my paintings 😀

I try to avoid absolute symmetry , I like the composition better that way, some people might prefer to do things differently 😁

I also find it fascinating and very rewarding to use glazing in my paintings. Glazing is such a quick process and it enables us to produce colours that cannot be produced in any other way (I can’t anyway, somebody else might be able to😁). I have a time lapse of a similar but much smaller painting on the channel. I learn something new with every painting that I do and sometimes I would do a small study that is similar to one of my bigger ones to specifically try techniques and use it as a learning experience👍🏻

Agreed😁

I only use oils so I cannot comment on the acrylics😁 I know exactly what you are talking about - those shiny and dull patches…Gamvar behaves differently compared to other varnishes that I have used before. I used the gloss from Winsor & Newton close to 30 years ago, the coverage was quite even, it was probably easier to get an even coverage compared to the Gamvar. Until a few years ago I was using a lot of spray on varnishes, the best one was the satin from Golden - it was amazing to see how that could even out the shiny and dull spots on a painting. The fumes just became to much for me, I was doing the varnishing outside with a proper mask but even the residues on my clothes and the smell when I eventually brought the painting inside was way too strong and I was concerned about the longterm effect that it might have on my health. I started using Gamvar after that. I was also frustrated with the dull and glossy areas with the Gamvar untill I started oiling out with Gamsol and Galkyd before applying the Gamvar. I did a video on that too, I don’t know if you have tried oiling out before. I find that it is much easier to get an even shine since I started oiling out first. I mostly use the matt and I apply one very thin layer. Gamvar might not be for everybody but for me it was worth the while to switch because I can apply it much sooner, it is much easier to remove and it is much less toxic. Things can go wrong with other varnishes too, I have experienced that and some of them are close to impossible to remove then. There is less of a chance to damage a painting removing Gamvar compared to a lot of other varnishes but there is still a chance. When you oil out with Gamsol and Galkyd it forms a protective layer that will reduce the chances of any damage to the painting too. I mix Liquin from Winsor & Newton with my paint in all my layers - it forms a very strong bond and also lessens the chances of damage when varnish is removed. If the paintings look dull afer removing the Gamvar you can maybe oil out one painting and see if the colours are restored. I don’t know if this helps, I am always learning new things like all the rest of us but I am happy to share some of my experiences wherever I can😊

I am having this issue right now and trying to find the best way to fix it. 6 commissions to deliver this week!

@@alaskabennetts I’m not sure which medium you are using, I only use oils so I cannot comment on acrylics. I get much better results if I oil out with Gamsol and Galkyd before applying Gamvar. This reduce the ability of dull patches to absorb the varnish and then cause dull patches to form after varnishing too. I mostly use the matte, I find it easier to get an even surface compared to gloss. I would definitely recommend to trial Gamvar on paintings that will not be sold before using it on commissions, it might not be the ideal varnish for everybody - no varnish is perfect, at this stage the advantages of Gavar is outweighing the disadvantages considering my specific needs and the surfaces that I work on. All the best with those commissions, I know how frustrating it is when you have spend endless hours working on a painting and the varnish is just not delivering the needed results…

I assume you are referring to Jack Stuppin? I had a look at some of his paintings online, I see he is using a lot of white in his clouds. I assume in his paintings a little bit of discolouration would be a big issue, in my type of paintings it would probably not even be noticeable. There is a lot of different opinions about the yellowing of the oils itself too. Some people feel that poppy oil and safflower oil is less yellowing than linseed oil, then it also depends on how the linseed oil was prepared…in my work I haven’t noticed any difference. You will have to decide for yourself in the end about what would be acceptable to you. It is quite a statement to make that Galkyd ruins virtually all landscapes, I am not convinced that all landscape painters will agree. In my work the final protective layer of galkyd and gamsol actually enhance my colours…

@@christodelportart8258 thankyou for your advice. I’m still deciding what to use to even out my paintings before varnishing. Kind regards, Chris

I think I will go with the gamsol and galkyd as you did. But is galkyd lite ok ( compatible ) if you didn’t use galkyd oil paints in your painting, just normal oil paint?

@@chrismarshall8217 To me it is just a matter of gaining as much information as I can and then buy a small bottle of whatever I want to try out and see how it works for me. I would try out new techniques and materials on small paintings that I am not too attached to before using them on my larger paintings

@@chrismarshall8217 The paint that I use is normal oil paint. They mostly consist of linseed oil and the pigments. Like I mentioned I use Liquin from Winsor&Newton to mix with my paint. This forms a very strong bond - I have never had any issues with paint detaching, flaking, cracking etc. If you don’t use an alkyd medium to mix with your paint it becomes a bit more complicated, then you have to use fat over lean techniques but you can still use the galkyd and gamsol layer in the end but you have to make sure that your painting is completely dry/cured and that might take a while (maybe months depending on how you work). Galkyd Lite is fine to use

I am using Winsor&Newton that is based on linseed oil and safflower oil but I am using a bit of Liquin mixed with my paint. Do you use your paint straight from the tube or are you using some kind of medium to help with the flow? The medium that you use to mix with your paint is the important thing. This will play a big role to decide when you will be OK to varnish. Some artists oil out between layers to have a fresh surface to work on, I am specifically oiling out just before varnishing to give me an extra protective layer. Let me know about your medium that you are using and I will do my best to answer your questions - I might not have all the answers but I am happy to share what has worked for me over the years 😁

I am using a bit of liquin too so it dries quickly.

The oiling out process that I am talking about in this video is specifically just before varnishing. I would use galkyd and gamsol because I want a strong protective layer that dries quickly so that I can use Gamvar to varnish within a few days if needed. The galkyd is in the same class of products as the liquin so I find it a good match. If you use linseed oil this layer will take much longer to dry compared to galkyd. If you are oiling out between layers to get a fresh wet layer to paint on that would be a completely different situation and would come down to personal preference. To me it is important to have the painting ready and varnished as soon as possible, other people would not be pressed for time and might be happy to varnish the painting after 6 months. I just find it difficult if I have to go back and varnish a painting if it is already in someone else’s house, sometimes impossible if it has gone interstate or overseas. I think it is important to experiment with this on paintings that you might not care for too much just to make sure that you get your technique right and to make sure that this will work for the specific way that you paint. All the best 😁@@chrismarshall8217

Thank you very much. Apologies for not answering sooner, I did not see your comment until today 😊 I have had terrible experiences with varnishing too - including with Gamvar, but since I started to oil out with galkyd and gamsol before I apply the Gamvar I got much better results. If the painting has dull areas that might absorb some of the varnish while other areas are shiny the effect might be very uneven. I also had major issues try to use more than one layer of the Gamvar (matte or satin). If I am not happy with the Gamvar varnish I would rather remove it (it is so easy to do) and try again. When using other brands like the spray on satin from Golden Products in the past I was able to respray some of the dull areas and it worked fine. I did the varnishing spray outside with a proper mask and the fumes were still overwhelming, I could feel that it was going to give me health issues in future so I switched to Gamvar - it is not perfect but with time I am learning to get the results that I want

Yes, I do sell my work. The one in the video is a commission. Feel free to fill in the contact form on christodelportart.com or email me at [email protected], I would love to have a chat to you 😁